Cover Story
Outdoor educational programs in SLO County focus on environmental literacy
Editor’s note: Schools and school programs throughout the state—including the Central Coast’s environmental education programs—are closed as of March 13 in order to slow the spread of COVID-19. But the values behind these programs remain an asset for local teachers, schools, and children to look forward to once the programs resume. As of press time,…
Nibbles & Bites
• On March 15, Gov. Gavin Newsom asked wineries, bars, nightclubs, and brewpubs to close their doors to customers to help stop the spread of COVID-19. The governor’s request is not mandatory as of March 16, so check your favorite venue’s website for details. According to Santa Barbara County Vintners, some wineries are shipping their…
Hunker down and find control, satisfaction, and nourishment by making your own ultimate comfort food: chicken stock
It’s a gray, rainy afternoon, the day after a national emergency’s been declared because of the COVID-19 pandemic, and I’m seeking comfort in my kitchen. I’ve got the bones of two roasted chickens from earlier in the week, some fresh veggies, garlic, and a big pot. It’s time to make stock. The creative act of…
Santa Maria Philharmonic Society honors musicians featured in the eighth annual Youth Showcase
Young, classical musicians throughout the Central Coast, from Santa Barbara to San Luis Obispo County, auditioned to take part in the Santa Maria Philharmonic Society’s eighth annual Youth Showcase, held last month in Orcutt. Entry was open to ages 8 to 18, and eight artists were ultimately chosen to perform classical pieces on piano, French…
Great American Melodrama suspends ‘Sherlock Holmes’
The Great American Melodrama and Vaudeville’s production of Sherlock Holmes and the Sign of the Four opened on Thursday, March 12, and was scheduled to run through Sunday, April, 26. As of March 16, the show is temporarily suspended in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. No dates were listed for when the show would resume.…
Ann Foxworthy Gallery postpones Allison Leigh Holt exhibition
The opening reception for Speculative Devices for Enactive Seeing (in the West), an upcoming multimedia exhibition at the Ann Foxworthy Gallery in Santa Maria, originally scheduled for Tuesday, April 2, has been postponed until further notice. The gallery is scheduled to remain closed through the end of April, according to Allan Hancock College. The Allison…
Central Coast local Mark Barbere recounts his journey to becoming a professional magician
Ooos and aaahs occasionally interrupt the ordinary murmurs you’d expect to overhear in a wine bar or tasting room. Before you can take another sip of your cabernet franc, a man in a suit approaches your party with a deck of cards, among other props. This is Mark Barbere, a Central Coast-based professional magician. His…
Sin City offers ample fun of the more wholesome variety
Las Vegas isn’t high on our list of favorite family vacation spots, but here we are. We’ve come to support my older daughter in her gymnastics competition, and we plan to have a good time. It’s March 5, and we don’t know it yet, but we’re fortunate to be able to attend an event of…
Hefty fines for illegal pesticide use poses larger questions of safety and regulation for Santa Maria strawberry growers
When consuming fresh fruit and vegetables, it’s easy to forget how these fibrous foods make their way from farm to table. From unpredictable climate patterns to ensuring soil health, farming is a tenuous industry that requires meticulous planning and prediction in order to keep up with demand. And, for better or worse, one way farmers…
School districts and Foodbank provide services amid COVID-19 closures
With nearly all students normally receiving free- or reduced-price meals at school, the Santa Maria-Bonita School District (SMBSD) committed to continue providing free meals in the face of school closures due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The Santa Barbara County Public Health Department had confirmed two cases of the coronavirus in North County as of March…
Some of the many reasons why federal marine sanctuary management is a bad idea
There are strong reasons why citizens should oppose a new federal bureaucracy operating in our offshore waters. A recent editorial by Andrew Christie (“Keep the proposed marine sanctuary protections moving through the Legislature,” March 4) takes a very low road in attempting to dismiss the fact-based concerns of citizens and agencies over a sanctuary designation…
Strange times
The world feels like a weird place to be right now. So it seemed like an appropriate week to give our snarky feathered friend a break, put the canary in quarantine to chill out a little bit so I could talk to the Sun’s readers directly. As of press time, Santa Barbara County’s Public Health…
Political Watch: March 19, 2020
• Former state Assemblymember and San Luis Obispo County Supervisor Katcho Achadjian died on March 5 from health complications. In the days since, local officials have lamented his passing. In a Facebook post on March 6, Assemblymember Jordan Cunningham (R-San Luis Obispo) referred to Achadjian as a friend and mentor. “He was a true public…
Latest homeless count shows progress in some areas, but not all
In its latest census of homeless individuals, Santa Barbara County found some improvements compared to last year, despite an overall increase in the number of people counted. The county’s Housing and Community Development Division released the 2020 point-in-time count results on March 10. According to these numbers, 1,897 people were identified as homeless when the…
Plains All American agrees to pay $60 million for 2015 spill
The company responsible for an oil spill that occurred five years ago near Santa Barbara reached a civil settlement with the federal government that requires it to pay more than $60 million in penalties and damages. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced a settlement with Plains All American Pipeline after the company’s pipeline near Refugio…
New Santa Maria-Bonita school name waiting until April
Santa Maria-Bonita School District’s (SMBSD) new elementary school, slated to open for students and staff at the beginning of the 2020 school year, is one step closer to having a name. Currently referred to under a working title of “new school No. 21,” the district convened a school naming committee to narrow down public submissions…
County allocates $5 million more to jail project amid delays
After several delays, the construction of Santa Barbara County’s Northern Branch Jail is nearly complete, but additional funding is needed to finish the job. During the March 17 Board of Supervisors meeting, General Services Assistant Director Skip Grey told the board that construction of the jail, which began in 2016, is 98 percent complete. Initially…
Canadian executives purchase Santa Maria Times, Lompoc Record
After purchasing the newspapers in 2005, Lee Enterprises recently sold the Santa Maria Times, Lompoc Record, and Santa Ynez Valley News to a group of executives who have purchased a number of publications throughout the state and country in recent years. Lee Enterprises, which owns nearly 80 publications in the U.S., announced the sale on…
Cabrillo High School Aquarium’s new Interactive Tide Pool offers an accessible and authentic aquatic experience
The Cabrillo High School Aquarium is swimming with exciting new updates that aim to increase accessibility and authenticity for its visitors. The aquarium’s recently completed $250,000 project—funded entirely by grants and community donations—includes upgrades to its aquatic life support system as well as a brand new exhibit called the Interactive Tide Pool. The aquarium plans…
